


Don't Play With Your Food

by IggyLikesPie



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
Genre: Alternate Universe - Serial Killers, Cannibalism, M/M, Rated E for torture, Romantic Comedy, Serial Killers, cute boyfriends, graphic descriptions of violence means torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-16 06:40:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13630773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IggyLikesPie/pseuds/IggyLikesPie
Summary: For the prompt: cannibal and serial killer, cute boyfriends.





	Don't Play With Your Food

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dusty_Forgotten (DustyForgotten)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DustyForgotten/gifts).



 

May 23rd

 

Kylo's cooking was always impeccable, Hux was loathe to admit, whether they were having fillet mignon, carpaccio, venison with a rich, red wine sauce, or red snapper livornese. Cooking was the one thing that Hux trusted the other man with. Picking up dry cleaning, washing the car, collecting the mail, absolutely not but cooking... that was when Kylo stood out. His talents as a chef were sorely waisted given that he was a security guard but perhaps that was due to his more signature dishes. Thin fillets, filling pies, barbecue ribs, breakfast omelettes, quesadillas with all the trimmings; they all had one thing in common, a certain...  _je ne sai quoi_ , a succulent meat, a vibrant flavour, like pork but... richer, a meat Kylo could only get from one butcher and that butcher was Hux.

 

"Tell me about them, who was it?" Kylo asked, pouring himself another glass of wine.

 

Hux swallowed his mouthful, the meat soft and tender, practically falling apart between his teeth. "She was a car salesman, it only took two months to figure out her routine, the rest ran like clockwork." he smiled slightly across the table. "She was blonde, quite small, some fat on her-"

 

Kylo hummed. "Yes, I noticed the fat, that's why I used the slowcooker. It makes the fat melt right off." he grinned, teeth sharp.

 

The ginger waved his hand. "You know that means nothing to me," he tutted. "I just catch them,  _you_  cook them. Anyway, she had no pets, her boyfriend was definitely cheating on her, her house was falling apart, in fact I think I did her a favour." he nodded.

 

"How did you do it? Describe it." Kylo practically commanded but Hux can't help but indulge him. The first kill, so long ago now, junior year was practically another life, Hux had been less refined but still effective but Kylo, then Ben, had been... brutal, barbaric. He was too angry to make a clean kill, from then on it had been too risky to let him near the person before they were dead. He'd always enjoyed skinning and cooking whoever it was, though.

 

"Phasma and myself waited on her back porch, when she came out for her nightly smoke, we used chloroform so her fear wouldn't taint the meat and then bound her. We managed to fit her in a large suitcase she had in her bedroom and we wheeled her right out of her house and put her in Phasma's car." he recounted, his fingers tingling with the memory of the adrenaline. "From there we went to Phasma's lodge and quickly removed most of her hair and finger nails and slit her throat before she woke. We then hung her, upside down, from the metal rungs so she could bleed out."

 

"Your descriptions are always so... methodical." Kylo sighed.

 

"Because I am methodical."

 

"But where's the drama! I know fear taints the meat but... you make killing sound boring!"

 

"Left to you, we would have been found out years ago," Hux scowled. "You can't just go around like it's some slasher film and kill whoever and hope not to get caught."

 

"Whatever..." he huffed, rolling his eyes a little. "Anyway, remind me to take some food in for Phas as a thank you."

 

Hux nodded, taking another bite. Really, Kylo's food was something else. He wished he could make such dishes but, alas, his area of expertise was limited to microwave popcorn. Unless... he could learn, perhaps. One dish wouldn't be too hard, he could practice with pork and make a kill and then serve it to Kylo. Then again planning a kill would take a decent amount of time, he wouldn't be ready for Kylo's birthday next month, Thanksgiving could maybe work but he didn't really get it nor celebrate it, Christmas and New Year were often spent at Phasma's parties so that wouldn't work ou- Valentine's Day, of course! That would give him plenty of time to sort everything out and he'd give Kylo a night to remember.

 

"To us." he smiled, lifting his wine glass.

 

Kylo gave him an odd look before clinking his own glass to Hux's. "To us."

 

~x~x~x~

 

May 30th

 

Hux stood watching the TV in the breakroom of his office with Mitaka, sipping his coffee as the younger man bit his lip, eyes wide.

 

"... is the third missing person just this year to disappear with completely no trace." the newsreader was saying. "County police are stumped but suspect either a cult or a serial killer, though there has been no evidence discovered on either, more on this story at 6..."

 

"Isn't it awful..." Mitaka breathes, fidgeting with his fingers. "My mom called asking if I was safe, she's scared for me."

 

"Terrifying." Hux hums, looking at the face of his latest victim on the screen.

 

~x~x~x~

 

July 14th

 

Hux waited at the bottom of the stairwell for Phasma. He had been incredibly lucky when he'd found her: good contacts, caught for only a minor felony yet she'd done so much worse, relatively cheap bail, and a likable character. It was as if she were Kylo but with more common sense and in a female body. If she'd had a dick, though, Hux was sure he'd have sucked it by now.

 

She came down the stairs at exactly 17:06 with the other staff from the HR office who she waved goodbye to when she noticed Hux. "Again, already?" she asked as she approached.

 

He shook his head, following the other staff at a distance towards the office complex's parking lot. "Not yet but I want to set something in motion now."

 

"What do you have in mind?" she asked, a slim eyebrow raised.

 

"I want to kill and prepare someone for Kylo for Valentine-"

 

She cut him off with a short, sharp bark of laughter. "Valentine's Day? Hux, it's July!"

 

"I know that but I would rather be prepared," he continued. "I was hoping you would be able to teach me how to cook a meal, nothing fancy but something good."

 

Phasma considered for a moment. "I've never cooked long pig before, you know I only help out for the kick and to pay you back," she half shrugged. "but... I suppose I can teach you to cook, I imagine working with pork will give you an idea."

 

"My thoughts exactly." he nodded.

 

"Then, yeah, I suppose I can teach you something simple," she agreed. "And let me guess, we need to keep all of this a secret from Kylo?"

 

"Naturally." he hummed.

 

She nodded once. "We'd better work at my place then, are you free this weekend?"

 

"Not this weekend, I can do next Sunday."

 

"Right, then I'll see you at mine at, say, 11?"

 

"Sounds good, thank you for this."

 

"It's the least I can do." she gave him half a smirk before heading for her car.

 

~x~x~x~

 

July 25th

 

Hux knocked on the front door at exactly 11AM. He didn't quite know what to expect but as long as he could master a dish, that was all that mattered.

 

Phasma was in a vest top and lounge pants when she opened the door, hair wet. Hux figured she'd showered after returning from her run. He knew her routine well, he knew most people's well enough if they were close enough to him.

 

"Come in, I think I've got a recipe for you; you can't go too wrong with a stuffed loin." she smiled, opening the door wider so he could get past.

 

"I hope it's nothing too... demanding." he hummed, hanging up his coat on the rack in the hall.

 

"You'll be fine," she laughed, clapping his shoulder. "Hopefully."

 

Hux scowled after her as he followed her to the kitchen, some radio station playing faintly from her radio on the windowsill. On the counter there were a few jars of herbs, a pork loin, two apples, some slices of bread, an onion, and some other bits and pieces.

 

"This is all you'll need," Phasma gestured to the counter.

 

"It looks like it has the potential to be complicated." Hux almost grimaced, the dish could be harder than organising a murder.

 

"Hux, you'll just need to make it work," she shook her head. "Now, first thing is to preheat the oven and cut the bread into squares."

 

He followed her first instructions, turning the dial for the oven to where Phasma indicated to then watching as she demonstrated how finely the bread should be sliced, first removing the crusts and then cubing the slice. That he could do and repeats her actions on the next few slices of bread.

 

"That should do, you don't want too much bread," she said, handing him one of the apples. "Now you need to peel, core, and dice these."

 

After Hux had given her a look to suggest 'and how the fuck will I do that?' she sighed and picked up the other apple.

 

"Okay, peel it," she said simply, pulling the peeler quickly and easily across the apple's skin until only the pale flesh remained. "Then core it," She easily pushed a thin knife into the body of the apple and cut a circle around the stalk before removing the core. "And then dice it." She halved the apple and then diced each half into relatively equal pieces.

 

Hux took the peeler with a certain amount of trepidation and attempted to mimic her actions. However, his peeling was not as smooth; he went to deep in some sections but too light in others. By the time all of the skin was removed, his apple was more a malformed, battle scarred lump compared to Phasma's perfectly trimmed apple.

 

Phasma was clearly biting back a laugh as she handed him the knife, handle first. His attempt at removing the core did not fair much better: he had to redo slices multiple times to make sure he got through the whole apple, to make sure he was cutting in the right direction, until he could finally remove the core.

 

"Right, now dice it." Phasma said.

 

Halving the apple he didn't find hard but his chopping was slow and the pieces were not as even as Phasma's. At least he had plenty of time to practice.

 

"Well," she started, surveying his brutalised sour apple. "It's a start." He can hear the smile in her voice.

 

He sighed. "Now what?"

 

"Now, I leave the fat on for crackling so you just need to roll cut the pork loin- don't panic, I'll show you how to do it this time." she told him after seeing him open his mouth to say he didn't know how to do that. She took the meat knife and made a long slit down the side of the meat and then opening it out onto the chopping board, the joint covering it completely. 

 

"You make it look easy."

 

"It is easy, you're just inept." she joked.

 

"I'm gonna turn you into this dish, I swear." he grumbled but that only made her laugh harder.

 

"Peel the onion, I'll boil the kettle to make the stock."

 

He nodded and did what she said, working his short fingernail beneath the first layers of the onion and exposing its insides. God, he'd smell of onion for days.

 

"Good, now half it and dice it, really finely." the blonde told him when he'd finished peeling the onion.

 

Once again, his chopping isn't that great and the pieces are all varying sizes but at least this time he could blame it on his eyes burning and watering.

 

"Put some olive oil in the pan and put in the onion, apples, a bit of rosemary and sage. Not too much, like a pinch or so of each." Phasma said.

 

"Can't you give me accurate measurements?" he sighed, adding the ingredients to the pan.

 

"This is how I learnt, this is how you'll learn," she simply shrugged. "Right, heat them until the onion is soft."

 

Hux did as he was told as Phasma poured the boiled water into a measuring jug and added a stock cube, stirring quickly until it dissolved.

 

"That should do, turn off the gas and mix in the bread, some butter, the egg, then season it," she instructed him, leaning against the counter to watch. He left the egg until last, worried he'd get shell into the mixture but he managed to crack the egg without scattering shell everywhere. Phasma added only some of the stock to the mixture, not enough to drown it but enough that everything was sticking together. "Right, that needs to cool so put some cumin over the pork while it does." He nodded, spreading a thin layer of the spice over the meat. "So, what's made you want to do this?"

 

"Kylo always cooks, I thought it would be a nice surprise." he said simply.

 

She smirked at him. "I never imagined you as being lovey dovey." 

 

"It's hardly lovey dovey," he mimicked with a huff. "We're in a serious relationship and we share a secret, who else would we go to now who shares the same... appetite as we do?"

 

"I suppose but still... you did choose Valentine's Day."

 

"I may not be sentimental but Kylo is."

 

"Whatever, it should be cool enough to spread now."

 

Hux spoons the mixture over the pork and smoothed over it so it was even. Phasma then began to roll the loin up, after telling him to pay attention, then cut the top of it in a row, and finally wrap it in twine. She placed the roll on a tray, sprinkled it with some more salt and pepper, and put it in the oven.

 

"Right, that was brutal, you watch and I'll do the roast potatoes."

 

Hux nodded, thankful he wouldn't have to cook anymore. He'd have to do the potatoes eventually but besides them and the meat it was easy; he could boil veg and make gravy, he wasn't completely hopeless.

 

By the time Phasma cuts him a slice of the meat, his stomach was aching with how much it had rumbled. The smell of the meat was divine and the glimpse of the orange crackling when she'd poured some fat from the tray over the potatoes had only fueled his hunger.

 

"How is it?" she asked after he'd taken his first bite.

 

He nodded as he swallowed. "Very good, I hope I can recreate it."

 

"You'll just have to practice, you can do it here but you're buying the ingredients next time." she pointed to him with her fork.

 

"Of course, you've been a huge help as it is, I couldn't have you buying all the ingredients too."

 

"Good, just tell me when you want to come round and when you want to next find someone to kill, it'll all work out." she assured him.

 

He nodded. "I'm sure it will. Most likely I will need your help with butchering too; Kylo's father taught him on game but my father had... other priorities." he finished, offering Phasma a meaningful look. They were close enough that she knew how his father had treated him. Not all the details but she knew enough.

 

"I'm sure he did, good old Mr Governor," she hummed darkly. "But, yeah, I'll help as much as I can, of course I will."

 

"Thank you." he said, smiling to her slightly and they finished the rest of the meal in silence. Hux liked that about Phasma, she didn't try to force conversation. While she joked more than him she seemed to enjoy silence just as much. She was a good friend, he hoped he'd never have to hurt her.

 

~x~x~x~

 

He could hear Millicent's paws the minute he opened the door, tiny  _pat pat pat_ s across the wooden floor of the hallway in their apartment. 

 

"Mrow." she greeted him, curling around his legs.

 

"Hello, sweet girl, how are you?" he cooed, picking her up.

 

She was purring already, happily getting ginger hair all over his navy jumper.

 

"Hi, Hux," Kylo grins over the back of the sofa. "Where've you been?"

 

"Just at Phasma's." he replied, holding Millicent in one arm and using the other to move Kylo's legs off the sofa so he could sit next to him.

 

He arched an eyebrow. "Another kill already, we still have meat in the freezer."

 

"No, just a social call." he shook his head, scratching Millicent under the chin.

 

Kylo simply hummed and leant his head on Hux's shoulder. "Do you want some of that meat tonight? We've still got ribs, we could have barbecue and sit in front of the TV and watch a film?" he practically sing-songed.

 

Hux couldn't help but smile. "Yes, that sounds perfect."

 

~x~x~x~

 

 

October 29th

 

Kylo knew something had to be up. Hux had to be planning a kill, he  _never_  went to Phasma's this much. At first it hadn't been noticeable: once after work here and there, occasionally half of a Sunday, sometimes a day off he'd go but now... he was texting her, he was there every third Sunday, at least one evening after work. It was ridiculous, Hux could tell him if he had another kill planned. The way they were almost sneaking around, it was like they were having an affair or somet--

 

His hand stops dead, Millicent meowing in complaint over the fact that he'd stopped stroking her. Hux and Phasma... They wouldn't- couldn't! Could they? Right under his nose? Maybe they weren't close enough yet but he was definitely losing Hux but what could he do about that? He couldn't lose Hux, where would he go? Who else could he trust like Hux? Who else would put up with him?

 

His hands were pulling at his hair before he realised what he was doing, strands coming out over his fingers as he let go.

 

How could he show Hux he shouldn't leave? Cook? He did that all the time, that wasn't anything special now. He didn't know anything else he could do, he couldn't kill someone for Hux; he wouldn't be able to plan it, he'd sour the meat by not being effective. Again.

 

He needed help, no matter how much he didn't want to admit it, and there was only one person he could even think of going to.

 

He checked the clock and stood up, Millicent jumping out of his lap with a  _mrow_  of protest. He still had time if he was quick so he pulled on his jacket and took the stairs down two at a time, awkwardly climbing into his old car, too small for his frame, and tearing out of th building's underground carpark.

 

He had to leave his car a few blocks away but managed to make it to the gates just as people began swarming out of the doors. He waits, watching over the top of the students' heads, looking for Rey in the sea of people.

 

She left the building after the crowd had thinned a little, walking out with three other people. One he knew was Poe, the other was... Fred? Frank? It began with an F, and the other girl he didn't know at all.

 

Fred/Frank saw him first and tapped Rey on the shoulder, pointing to where he stood.

 

She made some kind of placating gesture to the other three before approaching him, her friends watching from a distance.

 

"What is it, Ben?" she asked when she stood in front of him, looking up at him.

 

"Not 'Ben'-"

 

"I'm not calling you 'Kylo', it sounds ridiculous, now what do you want?" she interrupted him as he'd started to growl.

 

He sighed and mumbled "I need your help."

 

She frowned at that. "What do you mean? Oh my God, Ben, what have you done?"

 

"Not like that, calm down," he almost hissed. "It's... relationship trouble." 

 

Rey scrunched up her nose. "God, what? Why come to me, Hux is creepy! Go to one of your weird emo friends-"

 

"They're colleagues, not friends-"

 

"You gave yourselves the nickname of 'Knights', you sound pretty close-"

 

"It's mutual respect, we're not friends, though-"

 

"Whatever, why me, though? Why not dad or Aunt Leia or Uncle Han?" she huffed.

 

"Oh yeah, cause that'd work out," he shook his head. "Mom is always a politician, no matter what she's doing, dad would just be unhelpful and useless, and Uncle Luke would tell me to look inside myself or some other bullshit."

 

Rey sighed, fidgeting slightly like she just wanted to walk away. "Ugh, fine, I'll help you somehow," she sighed, turning to wave to her friends to say they could go. " _But_ , you're getting me food, let's go."

 

Kylo explained the situation as they walk, from how Hux had become elusive to his thoughts on why.

 

"So, let me get this straight," she frowned, rubbing her forehead. "Hux is spending time with his friend so you think he's cheating on you."

 

"It's more than that," Kylo groaned as they walked into McDonald's. "I've got a feeling something's going on and he never normally spends this much time there unless- unless it's for work stuff." he stumbled slightly but didn't expose them, he couldn't do that.

 

"You're basically made for each other: he can stand you, you can put up with him, you're both creepy, you're both kind of moody all the time, a perfect fit." 

 

"Perhaps but Rey-"

 

"Oh my God, Ben," she sighed, tilting her head back as they queued. "I seriously doubt Hux is cheating on you."

 

"Yeah but Rey-"

 

"Ben! You're being paranoid!" she hissed as they move forward to order (double cheeseburger for Kylo, box of 20 chicken McNuggets  for Rey, fries, and two Sprites). "If you're really so worried then maybe do something special for him," she suggested while they wait. "I know you can cook so maybe a fancy dinner?"

 

He shook his head. "I always cook, it wouldn't be good enough."

 

"Make him something else then? I mean, dad's started teaching me to knit so maybe something like that-"

 

"You can teach me!" he nodded enthusiastically, turning to her with wide eyes.

 

She shook her head quickly. "No, no no, that's not what I meant."

 

"It's perfect, just something like a scarf, I can give it to him at Christmas!" he nodded again and collected their order without looking at the server.

 

She grimaced. "Why can't you just have dad teach you, I mean-"

 

"He's not teaching me." he growled.

 

They sat down at a table by the window and Rey sighed, taking a large drink through her straw. "Okay, fine, I can teach you the basics-"

 

Kylo beamed. "Than-"

 

" _But_ ," she carried on over him. "You have to listen to me, it can't be like when you tried to teach me jiu jitsu and kept getting angry and almost breaking my bones."

 

He nodded once and held out his hand. "Deal."

 

Rey looked like she was already regretting her decision but shook his hand. "Deal."

 

When they had both finished their food she told him "I'll have to teach you at the weekend but I can it at home while dad's at work or the soup kitchen."

 

"That should work for me," he nodded. "Provided I don't have a shift at the weekend."

 

"Sure, just text me when you're coming over." she agreed, leaning back in her chair. "Now, as you're my favourite cousin in the whole wide world-"

 

"I'm your only cousin-"

 

"And you've already taken away time from my important studying, are you giving me a lift home?"

 

"Yeah, I suppose." he rolled his eyes, putting their rubbish in the bin and holding the door for Rey as they left.

 

He supposed Rey wasn't so bad sometimes.

 

~x~x~x~

 

November 4th

 

"No, no, no, Ben," Rey sighed, stopping his hands. "It's knit one, purl  _two_ , not purl one, that'll make the wrong pattern."

 

Kylo leant back in the chair and groaned. "Why am I even doing this, this is so stupid!"

 

"You don't have to be here, you came for my help." she reminded him.

 

He sighed, reaching up to rub his eyes before taking the needles back in his hands. "Yeah, I know... I just... I need to prove to Hux I'm worth it."

 

"I still think you're being paranoid." she shook her head, watching his hands work slowly through the stitches to make sure he was doing it exactly as she'd told him to.

 

"You don't understand; Hux is... he's smart and- and...  _clean cut_  and just amazing and yet he's with me."

 

"You sound like a 12 year old girl with her first real crush." she laughed, rolling her eyes.

 

"I know it sounds stupid!" he growls, gripping the needles so tightly he fears they might break. "But... I knew you wouldn't understand."

 

"Ben," she said slowly."I'm trying to understand, I can hardly believe you even came to me so I'm trying, okay? I know we're not really close but... you're strong and smart in your own way, I think you and Hux work well together even if you're both kinda creepy." she smiled a little, bumping her fist lightly into his arm.

 

He nods, letting out a breath. "Thanks, Rey."

 

"I can't believe I'm saying this but... anytime." 

 

~x~x~x~

 

November 19th

 

Kylo felt a little ridiculous, haunched over his meager work and the needles clacking away.

 

_Knit one, purl two, knit one, purl two, knit one, purl two._

 

It was repetitive and mind-numbing and a little relaxing but he didn't want to admit that, instead he'd moan about how haunching hurt his back but he couldn't see what he was doing if he sat up.

 

Rey was happily clacking away with her own work, something far more complex that his scarf. She'd said the stitches were 'classic' but he knew she meant 'basic' but as long as it turned out well, he didn't care; he just wanted to be able to gift Hux something, to show him he cared more than what he could put into words. He'd chosen black and grey wool, if Hux had a favourite colour it would be one of them for sure, it was thick and would make a warm scarf, one that would be able to keep even Hux warm. Maybe he should have made him some socks, then he wouldn't need to put the ice blocks he called feet on Kylo's thighs for warmth when they were in bed.

 

_Knit one, purl one, knit one-_  fuck, he unpicked the last few stitches and started again.  _Knit one, purl two, knit one, purl two, knit one, purl two, knit one, purl two._

 

~x~x~x~

 

December 24th

 

Kylo's Christmas spirit wasn't the brightest nor the most festive but the time of year always made him happy: lots of films on TV, Hux was forced to take time off, cold weather which meant bundling up in bed, spiced foods and drinks, all the good stuff.

 

He found himself smiling a little as he put the human thigh cuts into the marinade; he'd leave them overnight and then slowcook them, he'd found slowcooking human made the meat more tender, more so than with any other meat. He'd add some stock, vegetables, maybe some stuffing, it'd be a great lunch. 

 

They always exchanged presents at Phasma's and stayed with her for both Christmas and New Year; she was a close friend and a bit of a socialite so most of the office were normally invited to her parties but Kylo doubted she helped anyone else murder and butcher victims. 

 

After the previous year's slightly too crispy joint disaster, Kylo had brought his own slow cooker with them for safety and had hidden the finished scarf away in its box. Rey had been happy for him when he'd finished; buzzing that he had to text her how it went and that she wished him luck and other stuff he'd tuned out from. But he knew she meant well.

 

"How's dinner coming along?" Hux asks, holding an almost-empty wine glass as he comes into the kitchen from the living room, music was playing and Phasma could be heard laughing at something perhaps on the TV.

 

"We'll find out tomorrow."

 

"Well in the mean time, I could do with a snack." he purred lowly, nipping at Kylo's neck. He'd definitely had a bit to drink.

 

Nomally, Kylo would've been all over him but he was so close to proving to Hux how much he cared, so close to showing him how much time he wanted to spend on him, so close to giving him something special. Instead of dragging Hux to the guest room he quipped "You should save yourself for the main meal, you don't want to spoil your dinner."

 

Hux pulled away from his neck slightly. "Are you feeling alright?"

 

He nods. "Yes, just... we'll have a proper sit-down meal tomorrow, promise." he says, turning his head to give the ginger a look to mean he definitely wasn't referring to Christmas dinner.

 

He grinned at that, teeth sharp and face almost cruel. "I'll hold you to that."

 

~x~x~x~

 

January 15th

 

Fuck.

 

Fuck fuck fuck.

 

Kylo didn't know what he'd done wrong: Hux had loved the scarf, he'd adored the Christmas meal, he'd enjoyed Kylo sucking his dick, eating his ass, fucking him, being fucked, being tied up and cut up, everything and anything he'd wanted.

 

Yet Hux was still elusive.

 

It had been okay while he'd been on holiday from the office but now he was back at work he was disappearing more and more, always with the same excuse of going to Phasma's. Kylo couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he was using Phasma as cover, perhaps he was having an affair with someone at the office, perhaps it was that Mitaka. Oh yeah, it'd definitely be that stupid, air-head twink, he could see it now; Mitaka had probably gotten on his knees to suck Hux off for a promotion and Hux had liked the instant submission of a jail-bait fuck toy.

 

The egg he'd been holding broke in his hand and he was so close to punching something, so  _so_  close. He took a deep breath like Hux had told him to do so many times; a recommendation that had started as an angry retort to his 'childish tantrums' but was now often said to him gently to calm him down. He couldn't lose Hux, he'd lose too much if he lost Hux.

 

He washed his hands and cleaned up the shell, picking the bits out of the bowl where he'd started to make the bread dough.

 

He needed to do more. He wished he could make a kill by himself but he was too obvious, too stupid. He wasn't to butcher someone and lay them at Hux's feet but he couldn't even do that. He pushed the palms of his hands into his eyes, groaning. What could he do? Cooking was too obvious, killing was out of the question, the scarf didn't work... maybe he could combine them. He could knit something else, a jumper maybe, and cook something extravagant, something so over the top that Hux would forget all about everyone else. Forever.

 

Yes, that would be his plan.

 

~x~x~x~

 

January 18th

 

Rey looked at her phone as it buzzed, drawing her away from the current round of Cards Against Humanity.

 

"Who is it, Rey?" Finn asked.

 

"Oh! Is it Jessika?" Poe sing-songed, laughing as she threw a cushion.

 

"Jump off a cliff, Dameron, it's Ben." she scowled, getting up and heading into the hall before they could say anything else.

 

"Hey, Ben, what's up?" she started with.

 

"The scarf didn't work, you need to show me how to do a jumper." Ben stated, monotone as ever.

 

"What do you mean it didn't work?"

 

"Hux is still disappearing on, it didn't w-"

 

"Have you thought about just sitting down and discussing this with him?" she sighed.

 

Ben scoffed on the other end. "That wouldn't work so, anyway, a jumper?"

 

Rey rubbed her forehead. "When do you want to have it done by?"

 

Ben hesitated. "Uh, Valentine's Day maybe?"

 

She wanted to reach through the phone and ring his neck. "Ben, that's like a month away!"

 

"Yeah, so?"

 

" _So_ , jumpers can take months! Multiple months!"

 

"Yeah but-"

 

"You'd need to work on it practically non-stop, you'll need large needles and thick wool to even have the  _slightest_  chance of getting it finished."

 

"I need to, Rey." he said quietly.

 

She couldn't help but sigh again. "I'll see you this weekend."

 

~x~x~x~

 

February 5th

 

Today was the day.

 

Well, it was one of the days. A very important day in the lead up to  _the_  day.

 

Kylo was gone by the time he'd finished breakfast; he'd been doing a lot of overtime of meeting with Snoke a lot recently, he'd have to keep an eye on that. He was old and would probably die soon anyway, even without Hux helping him along but if he suspected that he was running a murderous empire right under his nose... he'd deal with that if it came to it, surely he would have done something by now if he suspected something. Hux shrugged to himself, none of that mattered today.

 

Phasma was outside in her truck by 11AM and they were on the country roads by 12:45. Hux felt good about this kill: a hiker, up on the hills, all alone, not even a Go-Pro because he was a 'purist' in his own words. And, most importantly, as well as chloroform they had injections of propranolol, an adrenaline suppressant. If Kylo wanted to see torture, Hux would give him torture. Without souring the meat, of course.

 

People worked on such a tight routine, or the ones Hux were interested in did anyway. His office workers showed up on time, his dry cleaning fit a schedule, and his victims went on stupid, vulnerable trips all by themselves like clockwork.

 

They waited along a wooded section of the trail, Phasma with the cloth and Hux with the rope. They waited in silence for who knows how long, waiting for the hiker to reach the point they'd driven to fairly easily. It was almost anti-climactic when he approached; Phasma holding him tightly, soaked cloth held over his mouth and nose while she held him off the ground until he stopped kicking and squirming. They both bound his quickly and carried him to the tuck parked a short way away.

 

Phasma lay him along the back seat before they both got back into the front of the cab. "All in a day's work." she grins, starting the truck and heading out the way they'd come. 

 

"Indeed, now for the fun." Hux agreed, looking out of the window to watch the trees and fields pass in a blur.

 

They follow their own routine once at Phasma's lodge; getting out the man, taking them to the basement, and tying them to the chair. However, instead of killing and bleeding them after taking out their hair and fingernails, this time Phasma got out a polaroid camera and handed it to Hux.

 

He nodded once. "Thank you, I imagine Kylo will enjoy these." he smiled slightly, taking the first of probably many photos, shaking the picture when it printed.

 

"This'll be porn to him." Phasma only half joked, getting the first injection of propranolol. "I'll inject him now, that should subdue his adrenaline for when he wakes up, depending on how long this lasts we'll have to use the others."

 

"I want to make this good, we could be here for some time." 

 

Hux waited to take the next picture, he waited until the man started to stir and snapped his face with his eyes half closed and smiling, dazed. "You're going to taste so good, we'll use you as foreplay." he murmured, the man only smiling more at this. The injection was working better than expected; he didn't seem concerned at all about his situation, so relaxed he was practically high, he hoped it would hold out so the adrenaline didn't sour the meat with everything else they were going to do.

 

"Where do you want to start?" Phasma asked and the man turned blearily to her.

 

"Shave his head, I'll take his nails." Hux nodded, stripping off the man's boots and socks (which made the hiker laugh) before getting the pliers.

 

The dazed laughing didn't last for long, he was unfazed by Phasma shaving his hair but when Hux started working out his nails he screamed, the raw sound building in the back of his throat and echoing around the basement as it went on. Hux just prayed his adrenaline was still being suppressed, he needed this to be perfect.

 

He found he enjoyed the screams more than he'd thought he would, the silence they normally worked in was familiar but the hiker's screaming sent jolts down his spine, made his fingers and toes tingle with warmth; these were the sounds he could draw out of another human, he wanted to see how far he could go. Could he make him bite off his tongue? Could he make him break his voice? He wanted to know how far he could go.

 

The hiker's fingers and toes were bloody and torn after all his nails had been removed, blood pulsing lazily from the rips in his skin.

 

"Wh- what...?" the man started, voice hoarse.

 

"I've taken your nails, you won't need them anymore." Hux said, showing the hiker the box with the nails in. He got the camera again, then, focusing on the man's fingers and snapping another picture. After shaking it, he showed it to the man. "See this? I'm going to gift these to my boyfriend, he's going to get hard looking at your mutilated body and eating what's left of you." he said simply, reveling in the fact that he could voice everything that ran through his head during a kill, he could voice every vile, gruesome thing that made him lick his lips and groan just thinking about it.

 

The man's eyes widened. "Why?" he gasps.

 

Hux shrugged. "You had a schedule, you were easy pickings."

 

Phasma moved to strip and shave the rest of his body, cutting the clothes where he was bound so she could get to him. Hux helped her, moving from the bottom upwards to slowly shave every inch of the hiker. This was how it normally was except the hiker was crying, his sniveling and hiccups sounding so loud in the basement.

 

Out of habit, after they finish shaking him, Hux almost goes to cut the man's throat but stopped himself, there was more enjoyment to come. Phasma injected him again and then took the camera, standing back to let Hux work.

 

He had to consider for a few moment, where did he start, there was so much choice! He finally decided on something he knew would get Kylo off. He carved Kylo's name into the man's chest, the letters crooked as his chest heaved as he cried out, screaming in general and for help. He tried not to press too firmly but with every movement of the knife, no matter how light, blood pulsed from his chest. Blood covered his hand and the hiker's chest, it was warm and tacky and Hux could smell it; it was like pennies and so strong, he almost expected to only smell that for the rest of his life.

 

When the name was legible, he crouched between the man's legs and turned towards Phasma. "Take the picture, make sure his name is in it." he instructed her, holding the knife in front of his face. He turned away before she'd finished shaking the picture to consider what to do next.

 

"I suppose you don't need your eyes anymore." he hummed and the hiker started to fight his restraints, his head shaking back and forth to try to stop Hux touching him. "Hold him still." he told Phasma and she walked behind the chair, clamping her hands either side of the man's head to keep him still.

 

"No! No, no!" he shouted, eyes screwed shut and voice slurred. "Please!" he choked out but Hux simply lifted his lid up to get at his eye.

 

"Keep still." Hux said and pushed the flat of the blade in above the eye, not too far but just enough that he'd be able to scoop the eye out.

 

The hiker screamed, raw and terrible but Hux didn't mind; Phasma kept him still no matter how much the rest of his body shook and the screams were... nice, he liked hearing what he could do to another person. He tilted the knife forward, pulling the eye from the socket with the flat of the knife. It came out with a wet  _pop_ , exposing the tendons behind it. The screams died out into whimpers, it sounded like he was trying to say something but couldn't form the words.

 

Hux smiled at that; maybe Kylo had been right, this was much more fun. He cut the tendons and chucked the eye over his shoulder before moving to the next one. The whines turned to a high pitched squeal as he pried the next eye from its socket in the same manner, careful to keep it as clean as possible. 

 

"Hold him up while I take another picture." he said, getting the camera to picture the blood running down the hiker's face from the severed tendons. It made a beautiful image: Phasma's strong hands holding him up, the blood running down his cheeks, the black sockets staring out of his face, his mouth fixed in a grimace. Perfect.

 

"What next?" Phasma asked him, letting go of the man's head which lolled forward, the hiker groaning lowly.

 

"I don't know, I could do anything." he said, almost stunned by the possibilities. 

 

She nodded. "You could, do you want to make a show or make it hurt?"

 

"Both, I suppose." he responded, the hiker still groaning, the noise rough and grating as it came out of his abused throat.

 

"Peeling his skin off bit by bit would certainly hurt though I imagine that might be too tame for Kylo's tastes." 

 

Hux nodded at that. "He likes gore, and I mean... proper gore with bones sticking out and flattened heads and bloated bodies."

 

"Well, maybe expose the bones of his lower arm and then break them, you wouldn't waist too much meet with that."

 

"You're right, do you have a retractor?"

 

"Of course." she smiled and Hux felt bad for doubting her; she had everything they ever needed, he sometimes wanted to ask her sources but knew better than that.

 

He tied the arm to the chair before making a long incision along it, from wrist to elbow. He got deeper with each slice, slowly working his way down until he could feel bone, his hands and the arm wet with blood by the end but the hiker just continued to groan, exhausted from the pain no doubt. As long as his adrenaline was restricted, he didn't care. Phasma inserted the end of the retractor and opened it up, exposing the inside of the arm and the bone beneath all the muscle. Blood oozed from the wound and Hux dabbed at it with some paper towels; he wanted the bone to be seen after all. He kept on some pressure while he reached for the camera and quickly took the picture after removing the towel. 

 

He focused on the picture as he shook it, ignoring the bleeding as it increased again, flooding the wound. The bone could be seen in the image to his delight, just what he wanted, and he set the camera and the photo on the side table with the others.

 

"Now... I want you to break his arm over the arm of the chair." he told Phasma as he untied the arm to move it forward over the edge.

 

She nodded, smirking slightly, as the hiker's groans intensified, the pitch rising. 

 

"I want it to be hard, I want the bone to stick out of the skin."

 

"I can do that." she grinned, putting one hand over his wrist which was over the edge of the chair's arm and the other further up towards the elbow.

 

Hux picked up the camera again, leaving sticky, red fingerprints on the pastel yellow plastic, and nodded to Phasma to do it.

 

She pushed down on his wrist and the bone snapped with a sickening  _crunch_ , the hiker didn't scream but just groaned louder, head not moving from where it had lolled to his chest. Phasma didn't stop, she carried on pushing down until the broken bone stuck up from the gash Hux had made earlier, the muscles of the arm turning out as she practically inverted his arm.

 

"Perfect, hold it there." Hux said, taking the picture of the snapped bone sticking up from the mutilated arm, blood dripping onto the man and the floor in thick droplets.

 

From there, they started... trimming bits from the man and documenting the process with pictures: his ears, his tongue (how Hux wished he could video his pathetic whimpering screams for Kylo hen but he knew a video could be traced, polaroids were safer), his fingers, his toes, they pulled out his teeth, they cut off his testicles, and eventually all that remained was just a groaning lump of meat.

 

His sounds were pathetic, like faint static as they clawed their way from his throat. He was just meat, now, there was no hiker just fresh cuts of meat to be skinned, sliced, cooked, and eaten.

 

"One last picture," Hux said, deliberately smearing blood over the lower half of his face and grabbing the knife. "Get in my lips." he told her, pulling the hiker's head back by two fingers in his eye sockets and smiling, properly and widely, as he held the knife to the man's throat.

 

"Yes! Work it! The camera  _loves_  you!" Phasma laughed, taking the photo and shaking it as Hux dragged the knife across the hiker's neck, a motion perfected from practice. The static-like groaning finally stopped.

 

"Do you think these will be enough?" he asked, looking at the pile of photos.

 

"Oh, definitely, that'll keep Kylo happy for months." she chuckled, going to tie the man up by his ankles to drain him.

 

"I hope so..."

 

~x~x~x~

 

February 14th

 

Kylo walked up the stairs of their apartment block, wrapped up jumper in his hands. Rey had given him some final words of encouragement when he'd gone to pick up the jumper, telling him it'd work out and that he was just being paranoid anyway. 

 

They'd used him as a guide for the size so it would drown Hux but maybe he'd stop stealing Kylo's hoodies now... provided he didn't leave Kylo.

 

He took a deep breath and unlocked their door, Hux's head peaking around the doorframe to the kitchen. "Kylo! I thought you said you wouldn't be back until four? Nevermind, it doesn't matter." he shrugged, coming to stand in front of the taller man, Millicent close on his heels.

 

"Sorry, I... I got what I needed to finished early." he went with.

 

 "Good, that's good." He nodded. "Now you're here, I wanted to talk to you."

 

Kylo's stomach dropped; that didn't sound good.

 

"We've been together for a while now..."

 

Oh God, Hux wouldn't leave him on Valentine's Day, would he? He was cold and unsentimental and heartless to an extent but would he do that?

 

"... and, sometimes, I feel like it's always the same..."

 

Fuck, he was too late! His eyes began to burn, he could hear ringing in his ears. Fuck, even Hux was going to leave him. He couldn't do anything right.

 

"... so I thought we could change it up a bit, so I-"

 

"Hux, please!" he choked out. "Please don't leave, I can do better!" he insisted.

 

Hux frowned. "Kylo, wh-"

 

"No, please!" he begged, voice cracking as he pushed the wrapped jumper to Hux's chest. "I made you this, please, I'm worth the time, I promise!"

 

The other man opened the package and shook out the jumper, fingers running along the thick stitches as Kylo tried to keep from clinging to him.

 

"You made this for me?"

 

He nodded frantically. "Please don't go, Hux, I'll do whatever you want."

 

"Kylo, why do you think I'm leaving?" he asked, genuine confusion in his voice.

 

He sniffled. "You've been so distant but you say you weren't planning a kill and if it's Mitaka I promise I can be better than him, please Hux, just-"

 

"Kylo, Kylo, Kylo! Stop!" Hux interrupted him. "I'm not going anywhere, I- come here, it'd be easier to show you what I've been doing." he said almost gently, leading Kylo through to the dining room.

 

The table had a red table cloth over it and was topped with candles, flowers, and their good plates and wine glasses. Through the open doors to the kitchen he could see a prepped baking ray with a cut of meat on it, pots of spices and herbs on the side, and a bowl of peeled and cut potatoes.

 

"Hux, I don't-"

 

"Happy Valentine's Day, Kylo." the other man purred, giving as much of a smile as he ever did, and kissed Kylo's cheek. "You're always cooking so sit down, I'm cooking for a change. Phasma taught me some cooking skills, that's what I've been doing."

 

He nodded, a little stunned, and sat at one end of the table. Hux poured him a glass of a deep red wine before pulling on the jumper, having to roll up the cuffs a number of time to even be able to use his hands.

 

"This is very sweet of you," he smiled, smoothing his hands over the navy wool. "But I can't believe you thought I was leaving you, and for Mitaka!" he tssked.

 

He could feel his face flush. "Sorry." he mumbled.

 

Hux rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly. "You're so paranoid, now, sit there while I finish lunch."

 

Kylo could see him through the doors as he moved back and forth, preparing and stirring and cooking whatever he was doing.

 

"Mrow!" Millicent announced her arrival before jumping into his lap, butting his hand so he'd pet her.

 

"Today's going better than I thought." he murmured to her, heart finally slowing down.

 

"Mrew." she answered, nestling down in his lap.

 

Hux came in a short while later, something held in his hand. "I was going to give you these over lunch but I can't wait." He pushed the envelope across the table to him and Kylo pick it up, opening it and taking out the contents.

 

They were pictures but as he studied them he realised what of; this was Hux and Phasma making a kill.

 

"He was an avid hiker, we plucked him right off the trail," Hux said as he flicked through them, relishing in the bright sight of blood, each image so close he could practically feel the tacky heat of the substance, could taste the metallic scent on his tongue. "We started as usual by removing nails and shaving him, then we took his eyes, and did a bit of remodelling."

 

"These are..." Kylo breathed, one of a bone visible and then another of the same bone but broken practically calling to him. "God, these are amazing but what about the meat going sour?" he asked without looking up, too focused on the images.

 

"We injected him with propranolol to subdue his adrenaline, if it worked the meat should be fine."

 

He nodded slowly, only half listening.

 

Hux chuckled. "I'll let you study them, lunch should be ready soon."

 

Kylo didn't know how much time passed before Hux brought him a plate but he stared at the photos the whole time, trying to commit them to memory.

 

"Dinner is served." he smiled, putting down a bowl of food for Millicent too so Kylo could eat in relative peace.

 

"Is this him?" he asked as Hux sat across from him.

 

He nodded. "Tell me what you think."

 

The meat was tender, the skin crisped into crackling, the potatoes were crisp too, and the vegetables hadn't been boiled to mush.

 

"It's good." he nodded, taking another bite, the stuffing lending a tartness to the overall taste.

 

"Phasma had quite the ordeal teaching me how to make it," he joked. "But I'd like to think I've gotten quite good."

 

"Definitely, you'll have to cook more." he nodded.

 

"I can only make this one thing and there's only so many loin cuts on a person." he laughed, Kylo joining in. He liked Hux laughing, it didn't happen often but he savoured it each time that it did.

 

~x~x~x~

 

They curled up on the sofa that night, Hux still in his new jumper with his head on Kylo's shoulder.

 

"Maybe you could come on a kill next time," he hummed.

 

"I really could?" Kylo asked, looking down to him.

 

He nodded. "I mean, we could use the suppressant again so you could have some fun and then, after, you could teach me to make something."

 

Kylo smiled. "Sounds perfect."

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for this prompt I had a lot of fun writing it and I can only hope I struck the right balance between cutsie rom-com and pure torture porn
> 
> I was writing right up until deadline day so this isn't beta'd, any mistakes are my own and I'm really sorry if there are any
> 
> @ me on tumblr: reluctantly-awesome


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